My dream attraction for Camp Snoopy at Knott’s Berry Farm – DePaoli on DeParks
In 1983, Knott’s Berry Farm added Camp Snoopy to their list of theme park lands. This gave The Peanuts gang a permanent home in the park. This themed area is the perfect place to introduce young kids to the theme park experience. But for a long time, I’ve dreamed of one thing being added to the land that I believe would be a game changer.
In addition to a beautiful atmosphere and opportunities to meet Charlie Brown and friends, the land is primarily made up of themed “flat rides.” These are the type of rides you see at many amusement parks that can be easily rethemed. For example, Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer is a retheming of a traditional swings ride.
Admittedly, what I want to see created for the land would definitely require a bigger budget than any other attraction in Camp Snoopy. What I want is a traditional dark ride like you find in Fantasyland at Disneyland, but with a bit of a twist.
Knott’s Berry Farm is known for their unique holiday festivities that change throughout the year. Although Knott’s is most famously known for Knott’s Scary Farm during the Halloween season, they also have the less scary Knott’s Spooky Farm for daytime guests. And during Christmas time, Knott’s Merry Farm arrives to delight the entire family.
For me personally, when I think of The Peanuts, I think of holiday specials. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” has been airing on tv annually since 1966. And “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has been around even longer since 1965. For so many, viewings of these specials are holiday traditions and I’m sure the most recognizable thing about The Peanuts.
Given that Knott’s is so well-known for its holiday festivities, and The Peanuts are well-known for their holiday specials, I think it would be very cool to have a Peanuts dark ride designed with holiday overlays in mind.
For most of the year, the attraction could center around classic Peanuts tropes like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football or fly a kite. But then when the holidays roll around, this Peanuts dark ride could be themed around the different holiday specials.
Whether this was done through simple screen elements being replaced with the touch of a button, or a more extensive overlay like a Haunted Mansion holiday, I don’t really care. I just want to see a Peanuts dark ride with holiday overlays in Camp Snoopy.
To be fair, Knott’s does do a minimal overlay during their annual Peanuts Celebration. They take their Grand Sierra Railroad train attraction in Camp Snoopy and add some character flats with new narration. They call this update to the ride Beagle Bonanza. Although I appreciate the concept, there’s a minimal budget allocated to the change.
One of the issues a proper Peanuts dark ride might cause is atypical crowds in Camp Snoopy. All of the rides there currently are geared toward young kids. You don’t see too many people hanging out there for any length of time unless they’re attending the park with children. I think this dark ride concept would appeal to the masses and perhaps cause crowd issues for the land. I’d love to see it happen regardless.
What do you think? Would you like to see a Peanuts dark ride in Knott’s Berry Farm (or any Cedar Fair park for that matter)? Do you think it would appeal to the masses? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Jeff DePaoli is a producer and voiceover artist living in Los Angeles. He can be heard as the voice of Disney Trivia on Alexa as well as the host of “Dizney Coast to Coast,” the ultimate, unofficial Disney fan podcast. Get your FREE gifts of “America’s Hidden Mickeys,” “On the Rohde Again,” “Theme Park Comfort Kit” and more at DizneyCoastToCoast.com. DePaoli’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent Attractions Magazine.
